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Cathay Pacific Reveals First US Route for Its A350

March 09, 2017
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3 min read
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Cathay Pacific Reveals First US Route for Its A350
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Last year, Cathay Pacific took delivery of its first A350-900. Since then, it's accepted 10 more frames and has 11 additional on order. In September, the Hong Kong-based carrier announced its first North America route serviced by the A350, which would connect Hong Kong (HKG) and Vancouver (YVR). But now, we know the first opportunity to fly the A350 on a route between Hong Kong and the US.

Beginning October 31, 2017, Cathay Pacific will launch thrice-weekly service between Hong Kong (HKG) and San Francisco (SFO). The new route will operate as follows:

  • CX892 Hong Kong (HKG) 6:45pm Departure ⇒ San Francisco (SFO) 2:45pm Arrival — Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
  • CX893 San Francisco (SFO) 12:55am Departure ⇒ Hong Kong (HKG) 8:05am (+1) Arrival — Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays

The new A350 service will add to the carrier's existing nonstop flights between the two cities, which are both operated by Cathay's 777-300ER aircraft. With the addition of this new A350 service, the airline will operate 17 weekly flights between HKG and SFO.

Cathay's A350 is comprised of three cabins: business, premium economy and economy. The business-class cabin offers 38 lie-flat suites that have 45 inches of pitch and are 20 inches wide arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. The premium economy cabin is comprised of 28 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. Each seat has 40 inches of pitch and is 20 inches wide. The economy cabin, meanwhile, has 214 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. Each seat has 32 inches of pitch and is 18 inches wide.

The business-class seat on Cathay's A350.

The flight is available to book now, and one-way tickets on the inaugural from HKG to SFO cost ~$915 in economy, ~$1,580 in premium economy and ~$6,960 in business. If you're looking to use your points toward a redemption for one of these flights on the new A350, your best bet is by using American AAdvantage miles. And, there appears to be good availability on the new route, with at least two seats available in business on most days:

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If you book through American, you'll pay 70,000 miles one-way in business class at the saver level or 32,500 miles in economy at the saver level. Or, you could book through Alaska's Mileage Plan for 50,000 miles one-way in business class or 30,000 miles in economy.

This is great news for US travelers who have been wanting to test out Cathay's new A350 product. Previously, announcements involving the aircraft for new routes included only international markets — Vancouver (YVR), Tel Aviv (TLV), Dusseldorf (DUS), London (LGW), Manchester (MAN), Rome (FCO), Auckland (AKL), Melbourne (MEL) and other inta-Asia routes.

H/T: One Mile at a Time

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Why We Chose It

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.